Virginia expands Prince William commuter parking

Virginia officials plan to invest almost $8 million to expand commuter parking in eastern Prince William County, Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean T. Connaughton said Thursday.

The state's announcement comes after Potomac Mills mall closed about 700 of the commuter parking spaces it had provided for years on Feb. 14.

Connaughton said a temporary commuter lot will open March 14 at First Baptist Church at Minnieville and Elm Farm roads in Woodbridge. The state will pay about $288,600 for the 600-space lot, which will also be served by the local bus system.

Construction of a $7.2 million commuter lot on Telegraph Road -- a quarter-mile from the Horner Road lot -- will commence later this year. The 600-space lot is set to open in 2012, said Connaughton, who made the announcement with Prince William Board Chairman Corey Stewart and Virginia Department of Transportation officials.

"I've commuted from Prince William on I-95 for almost 25 years and know firsthand how essential commuter parking is," Connaughton said.

Stewart said roughly two-thirds of the county's workforce commutes out of Prince William for work.

Connaughton said the state is also looking into adding other commuter parking lots in the future.

Glad to see the county taking action on this issue. The lack of advanced planning however is a cause of concern and enough for those in county leadership positions to lose my vote in the next election. I will be more involved in my local politics from now on.

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